![Regione-Lazio-Posizione](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Regione-Lazio-Posizione.png)
Cesanese Comune (more commonly known as just Cesanese) is a red
Italian wine
Italian wine is produced in every region of Italy. Italy is the world's largest producer of wine, with an area of under vineyard cultivation, and contributing a 2013–2017 annual average of 48.3 million hl of wine. In 2018 Italy accounted for ...
grape variety
This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species including those unimportant to agriculture, see Viti ...
that is grown primarily in the
Lazio
it, Laziale
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region.
[ ] The grape has three ''
Denominazione di origine controllata
The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine:
* ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; English: “designation of origin”),
* ''Indicazione geografica tipic ...
'' (DOC) regions dedicated to it-
Cesanese di Affile DOC
Cesanese Comune (more commonly known as just Cesanese) is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown primarily in the Lazio region. The grape has three ''Denominazione di origine controllata'' (DOC) regions dedicated to it- Cesanese di Affi ...
,
Cesanese di Olevano DOC
Cesanese Comune (more commonly known as just Cesanese) is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown primarily in the Lazio region. The grape has three ''Denominazione di origine controllata'' (DOC) regions dedicated to it- Cesanese di Affi ...
and
Cesanese di Piglio DOC
Cesanese Comune (more commonly known as just Cesanese) is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown primarily in the Lazio region. The grape has three ''Denominazione di origine controllata'' (DOC) regions dedicated to it-Cesanese di Affil ...
.
[ M. Ewing-Mulligan & E. McCarthy ''Italian Wines for Dummies'' pg 200 Hungry Minds 2001 ] ''Cesanese di Affile'' appears to be a distinct sub-variety of Cesanese Comune unique to the commune of
Affile
Affile ( la, Afilae) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Rome in the Italian region Lazio, located about east of Rome.
History
Archaeology has shown the existence of a pre-Roman centre here, on the border of the lands of th ...
. (much like ''
Brunello'' is a unique clone of
Sangiovese
Sangiovese (, also , , ) is a red Italian wine grape variety that derives its name from the Latin ''sanguis Jovis'', "the blood of Jupiter". Though it is the grape of most of central Italy from Romagna down to Lazio (the most widespread grape i ...
unique to commune of
Montalcino
Montalcino is a hill town and ''comune'' in the province of Siena, Tuscany, central Italy.
The town is located to the west of Pienza, close to the Crete Senesi in Val d'Orcia. It is from Siena, from Florence and from Pisa. Monte Amiata is loc ...
) There are noticeable differences between Cesanese Comune and the grapes found in Cesanese di Affile, including the size of the
grape berry itself. The sub-variety Cesanese d'Affile is considered to be of superior quality of Cesanese Comune and is used as minor ingredient in the
Tuscan cult wine
Cult wines are wines for which dedicated groups of committed enthusiasts will pay large sums of money.
Cult wines are often seen as trophy wines to be collected or as investment wine to be held rather than consumed. Because price is often seen ...
Trinoro.
[ J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 148 Oxford University Press 2006 ] The grape has very old origins, and may have been used in
Roman wine
Ancient Rome played a pivotal role in the history of wine. The earliest influences on the viticulture of the Italian peninsula can be traced to ancient Greeks and the Etruscans. The rise of the Roman Empire saw both technological advances in and ...
making. Today it is rarely seen outside of the Lazio.
[ Oz Clarke ''Encyclopedia of Grapes'' pg 59 Harcourt Books 2001 ]
History
![Savanna Samson DSC 1095](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Savanna_Samson_DSC_1095.JPG)
Cesanese Comune has had a long history in the Lazio regions with
ampelographers
Ampelography ( ἄμπελος, "vine" + γράφος, "writing") is the field of botany concerned with the identification and classification of grapevines, ''Vitis'' spp. Traditionally this has been done by comparing the shape and colour of the ...
believing the grape to be
indigenous
Indigenous may refer to:
*Indigenous peoples
*Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention
*Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band
*Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...
to the region. While it may have been used in Roman winemaking, in recent centuries the grape has been on a steady decline. By 2000 there were less than 2,500 acres (1,000 hectares) of the grape planted in Italy.
The grape's decline has coincided with the general decline of
viticulture
Viticulture (from the Latin word for ''vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ran ...
in the Lazio region as
urban sprawl
Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city." Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted growt ...
and more of the population shift from agriculture to more industrial enterprises.
In the 2000s, the Cesanese variety earned publicity for being included in the debut wine
Sogno Uno
''Sogno'' ( en, Dream) is the fifth studio album by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.
The album sold 2.5 million copies in the United States, by American porn star
Savanna Samson
Savanna Samson (born October 14, 1967) is the stage name of Natalie Oliveros, an American former pornographic actress. The winner of several AVN Awards, she has spent most of her career as a contract performer with major producer Vivid Entertain ...
. For her first foray into the wine industry, Samson sampled 80 Italian wines before deciding to base her first wine primarily on the rare Lazio grape. Her 2004 Sogno Uno, which earned a favorable 91pt rating from American wine critic
Robert Parker, was composed of 70% Cesanese, 20% Sangiovese and 10%
Montepulciano
Montepulciano () is a medieval and Renaissance hill town and ''comune'' in the Italian province of Siena in southern Tuscany. It sits high on a limestone ridge, east of Pienza, southeast of Siena, southeast of Florence, and north of Rome b ...
.
[T. Aspler ']
Curves of the Bottle - Interview with Sacanna Samson
"'' Tidings, June 9th, 2008
Wine regions
Cesanese Comune is almost exclusively planted in the Lazio region of Italy, and has long been associated with the ancient town and comune of
Anagni
Anagni () is an ancient town and ''comune'' in the province of Frosinone, Lazio, Latium, central Italy, in the hills east-southeast of Rome. It is a historical and artistic center of the Latin Valley.
Geography Overview
Anagni still maintains the ...
.
It is planted throughout the hills of southeast Latium in the
province of Frosinone
The Province of Frosinone ( it, Provincia di Frosinone) is a province in the Lazio region of Italy, with 91 ''comuni'' (singular: ''comune''; see Comuni of the Province of Frosinone). Its capital is the city of Frosinone. It has an area of ...
which has been sub-divided into three DOC regions. The Cesanese di Affile DOC is located around the commune of Affile in the
province of Rome
The Province of Rome ( it, Provincia di Roma) was one of the five provinces that formed part of the region of Lazio in Italy. It was established in 1870 and disestablished in 2014. It was essentially coterminous with the Rome metropolitan area. T ...
, though the sub-variety of ''Cesanese di Affile'' has migrated north to southern
Tuscany
Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze'').
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...
. The
Cesanese di Olevano
Olevano Romano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Rome in the Italian region Latium, located about east of Rome.
It is the probable birthplace of the composer Giovanni Gentile.
Culture
Starting from the early 19th centur ...
is also located in the province of Rome around the city of
Olevano Romano
Olevano Romano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Rome in the Italian region Latium, located about east of Rome.
It is the probable birthplace of the composer Giovanni Gentile.
Culture
Starting from the early 19th centur ...
. The mountainous vineyards of the Cesanese di Piglio DOC, centered around the
Piglio
Piglio is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Frosinone in the Italy, Italian region Lazio, located about east of Rome and about northwest of Frosinone, offering a panoramic view on the valleys of the Sacco (river), Sacco and Aniene ri ...
commune in the
province of Frosinone
The Province of Frosinone ( it, Provincia di Frosinone) is a province in the Lazio region of Italy, with 91 ''comuni'' (singular: ''comune''; see Comuni of the Province of Frosinone). Its capital is the city of Frosinone. It has an area of ...
, is considered by wine experts such as
Master of Wine
Master of Wine (MW) is a qualification (not an academic degree) issued by The Institute of Masters of Wine in the United Kingdom. The MW qualification is generally regarded in the wine industry as one of the highest standards of professional knowle ...
Mary Ewing-Mulligan Mary Ewing-Mulligan is an American author, wine educator and Master of Wine, the first American woman to achieve this accreditation.Matasar, Ann B. (2006). ''Women of wine: the rise of women in the global wine industry''. University of California Pr ...
to produce the best quality Cesanese wine but viticulture in the area has declined due to the difficulties in cultivating such mountainous terrain.
Wines
Traditionally Cesanese was used to make
sweet
Sweetness is a basic taste most commonly perceived when eating foods rich in sugars. Sweet tastes are generally regarded as pleasurable. In addition to sugars like sucrose, many other chemical compounds are sweet, including aldehydes, ketones ...
red wines that ranged from slightly sparkling ''
frizzante
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While the phrase commonly refers to champagne, European Union countries legally reserve that term for products exclusively produced in the Champagne regi ...
'' to fully sparkling ''
spumante
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While the phrase commonly refers to champagne, European Union countries legally reserve that term for products exclusively produced in the Champagne reg ...
'' styles. In the late 20th century more winemakers began making dry still wines from the grape variety. Under DOC regulations, any wine labeled as Cesanese must contain at least 90% of the grape variety in the wine.
Among the other grape varieties permitted to fill in the remaining 10% of the blend are both red and white grapes-Sangiovese, Montepulciano,
Barbera
Barbera is a red Italian wine grape variety that, as of 2000, was the third most-planted red grape variety in Italy (after Sangiovese and Montepulciano). It produces good yields and is known for deep color, full body, low tannins and high levels ...
,
Trebbiano Toscano
Trebbiano is an Italian wine grape, one of the most widely planted grape varieties in the world. It gives good yields, but tends to yield undistinguished wine. It can be fresh and fruity, but does not keep long. Also known as ugni blanc, it h ...
and
Bambino bianco.
[ P. Saunders ''Wine Label Language'' pg 137-138 Firefly Books 2004 ]
Wines made Cesanese are described as
light bodied and soft, often recommended to be enjoyed soon after release. Wines from the Cesanese di Affile DOC may have a slight bitter edge.
Synonyms
Among the
synonyms
A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...
that Cesanese is known under include Bambino, Bombino nero, Bonvino nero, Bonvino, Cesanese, Cesanese ad acino grosso, Cesanese nero, Cesanese velletrano, Cesanze nero, Ferrigno nero, Ferrigno, Mangiatoria, Nero Ferrigno, Sancinella and Sanginella.
[ Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) ]
Cesanese Commune
Accessed: November 13th, 2017
References
{{reflist
Red wine grape varieties